Circuit closer



Patented June 16, 192.5.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

CARL JOHANNIS NYMAN', OF WINSTED, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RALPH W. ALLEN, OF WINSTED,CONNECTICUT, AND ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR B. WELLMAN, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

CIRCUIT CLOSER.

Application filed April 7, 1923. Serial No. 630,672.

Ta all whom it mm cancela Be it known tliat I, CARL J. NYMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Winsted, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Circuit Closers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to road signalling devices and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient circuit closer therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a circuit closer having means for controlling it and thereby the duration of the signal. Other objects of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the casing along the line 1-1, Figure 2, disclosing the construction of the road signal;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken transversel of the road signal along the line 2-42, Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the clock mechanism provided for controlling the operation of the road signal;

Figure 4 is a diagram of the Wiring of the road signal, showing how the signal might be placed at a cross road.

Referring to the above mentioned drawings, an open casing 10 is located in the road 11 so that its top is in alinement with the top of the road. Supported in the mouth of the casing 10 is a tread 12, the top of which projects slightly above the surface of the road when in its normal position. This tread is supported by means of springs 13 located on posts 14 positioned in the casing 10. The springs 13 are adjustably mounted 011 the posts by means of an nular members 15 and set screws 16. Thus it is possible to vary the level at which the tread 12 is normally supported. Openings 17, defined by annular projections 18 formed integral with the tread 12, receive the posts 14 and serve as guides to control the direction of movement of the tread 12 thus preventing lateral movement of the same. In order to prevent the casing 10 from becoming filled with dirt from the road, flexible members 19 are mounted to extend between the walls of the casing and the tread 12. The downward movement of the tread is limited by means of the brackets 20 fixed to the side walls of the casing 10 and extending beneath the tread.

A metallic lever 22, including three sections 22, 22522C insulated from one another by the insulating blocks 23 and 23h, is fulcrumed on the shaft 21 extending trans-v versely of the casing 10. The lever is retained inv position on the shaft by means of rings 21 positioned on both sides of it. The upper portion 22a of the lever 22 is curved upward and terminates in a forked end 26. A roller 25 is mounted in the forked end on a shaft 27 in alinement with a projection 23 formed on the tread l2. A. shaft 31 carrying a metallic roller 32 is slidably mounted in a slot 29 cut in the section .22b of the lever. This shaft 31 is retained projected to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, by means of a spring 3() also positioned in the slot 29. Co-operating with the roller is a contact block 33 mounted in the casing and insulated therefrom by the insulation plate 34. Embedded in the contact block is an insulating block 35 which normally serves to insulate the roller 32 from the contact block 33.

Mounted in each casing is a battery 3G or some other source of electrical energy. One pole ol" this source of electrical energy is connected by means of a conductor 37 to the contact block while the other pole of the source of electrical energy is connected through a signal represented by a lamp 38 and conductors 39 and 40 to the section 22b of the lever 22. Thus it will be seen upon the operation of the lever 22 the roller 32 will he moved into contact with the contact block 32S, establishing a circuit through the signal 33. This circuit includes a conductor 3T attached to one pole of the battery 36, contact block 33, roller 32, section 22h of the lever 22, conductor 40, signal 38 and conductor 39 connected to the opposite pole of the battery. I

Located in the casing 10 is a frame 41 carrying a clock mechanism 42. This clock mechanism 42 is connected to the lever 22 by means of an arm 43. The arm 43 is loosely mounted on the shaft of the gear 44 and carries a dog 45 which serves to connect it to the fear 44 when the arm 43 is moved downward. The moving of the arm 43 downward serves to operate the clock mechanism, consequently, the speed of the downward movement of the arm will be controlled by the clock mechanism. A slot 46 is provided in the outer end of the arm 43 and a pin 47, which is fixed to the section 22c of the lever 22, slides in this slot. The arm 43 is operated by the lever 22. When the end 26 of the lever 22 is proj ected downward the section 22c is moved upward, raising the arm 43. If the end 26 of the lever 22 is then released the weight of the sections 22b and 22c carry the arm 43 downward, operating the clock mechanism 42. Attached to the frame is an angle bar 48 for receiving` the end of the lever 22 when it has carried the arm 43 Ato the limit of `its downward movement.

The diagram shown in Figure 4 discloses connections that might be used in the installation of the road signal at a cross roads. F our assemblages similar to that disclosed in Figure l and described above are positioned transversely of the roads to 56, inclusive, and at a distance from the corners. The batteries provided in each of these assemblages are connected with four incandescent bulbs 49 to 52, inclusive, located in alinement with the different roads 53 to 56, inclusive, respectively. Means are provided in conjunction with each light bulb to conne the rays of light that are emitted from it to the road with which it is located in alinement. The bulbs 49 and 52 are connected in series by a conductor 66. The batteries provided in conjunction with the assemblages mounted in the roads 54 and 55 are connected in parallel by pairs of conductors 6l, 62 and 57, 58, and across the bulbs 49 and 52 connected in series. The bulbs and 5l are connected in series by means of conductors 65. The batteries provided in conjunction with the assemblages mounted in the roads 53 and 56 are connected in parallel by means of pairs of conductors 59, and 63, 64. These batteries connected in parallel are then connected across the bulbs 50, 5l connected in series. The connections vdescribed above are not new but are described in order that the op eration of the device may be more clearly understood.

The operation of this device is as follows:

llhen a vehicle passes over a tread l2, let us say the tread mounted in the road 53, the tread is projected downward, compressing the springs 13 and operating the lever 22. The forked end 26 of the lever 22 is pro- 'ected downward, swinging the lever about its fulcrum 21, raising the arm 43. Contact is also established between the rollei` 32 5l. When the force has been removed from f the tread 12 the springs 13 project it upward into its normal position, releasing the lever 22. The lever immediately begins to swing back into its normal position, exerting a force ,on the arm 43. This sets the clock mechanism in operation and the latter controls the movement of the lever and the duration of the signal. When the roller 32 moves back into its normal position on the insulation block 35 the circuit is broken and the signal ceases. Referring to the diagram when the vehicle passes over the tread located in road 53, the circuit controlled by the assemblage positioned in the road is established and current flows through conductor 59, bulb 51, conductor 65, bulb 50 and conductor 60 back to the battery. Thus the bulbs 50 and 5l located in alinement with the roads 54 and 55, respectively, are illuminated, warning vehicles approaching along these latter roads of the approach of another vehicle along the road 53. The operation when a tread mounted in any of the other roads is depressed is the same.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims.

l. A circuit closer, cmprising a lever formed of a plurality of insulated sections and pivoted adjacent one end, a sliding and spring pressed roller mounted in the intermediate section of the lever and arranged at one side thereof, and a fixed contact pro jecting upwardly at the side of the lever on which the roller is located and with which the said roller engages when the lever is swung from normal position, said fixed contact having on its lower part an insulating block with which the contact roller engages when the lever is in normal position.

2. In a circuit closer, a lever formed oi" insulated sections and pivoted adjacentone end, a yielding contact carried by the inter` mediate section of the lever a fixed Contact having an insulating block with which the yielding contact engages when said lever is 1n normal position, a clock mechanism, a pivoted arm, means for operating the clock mechanism from the arm, and means pro viding a pivotal and sliding connection between said arm and the longer member of the lever.

3. In a circuit closer, a lever formed of insulated sections and pivoted near one end,

a contact carried by the intermediate section of the lever, a fixed contact having an n insulating block with which the contact of the lever engages when said lever is in normal position, a clock mechanism, an arm a dog engaging said gear and a pin and slot connetion between the ,said arm and the longermember of said lever, whereby the l0 clock mechanism will be operated by said lever when moving'to normal position.

`CARL JOHANNISNYMAN. 

